Roliça August 17, 1808

 We played Jonathon Jones’ Roliça scenario (The Leopard’s Debut, from his O'er the Hills scenario book) last week, and had a lot of fun fighting it out. It is the sort of scenario I really enjoy, a lot of maneuver and less fighting, although it had its clashes and ended in a monstrous brawl on the ridge.

The scenario is based on the first major encounter between Junot's French and the Anglo-Portuguese force under Wellesley’s command on August 17, 1808. As Wellesley marched south towards Lisbon, a French force under Delaborde moved to block him with a delaying action fought at the Portuguese village of Roliça. Delaborde was aware that Wellesley was in the process of outflanking him with the remainder of his force, and planed to retreat from the village to a stronger position on a ridge to the south, above the village of Columbeira, to continue the action.

In the scenario Wellesley’s forces need to gain a lodgement on the ridge by Turn 12, and Delaborde needs to prevent that from happening. We played the game with 1/72 scale figures on a 6’ X 9’ board and used the Over the Hills ruleset for our game.

The scenario map with the British lines of advance shown for our game.

The Battlefield

Viewed from north to south (British enter in the foreground) with Roliça and its high ground front centre and Columbeira and the ridge at the top. The area is liberally sprinkled with orchards, vineyards, woods and hedgerows to create impediments to the advance/withdrawal. All the creek beds are dry and not considered obstacles, but the ridge is only accessible by four narrow gullies, with the exception of skirmish order troops who can move through the rough bits.

1. Delaborde on Roliça hill

Delaborde takes up his first position, with his 26me Chausseurs flung out far to his left and the 1/70me Line on his far right. He chooses not to occupy Roliça.

2. The British arrive

The British arrive in front of Roliça in column, with Hill’s 1st Brigade on the right (foreground), Nightingale’s 3rd followed by Crawford’s 5th in the middle and Fane’s 8th Brigade on the far left (top).The 20th Light Dragoons also arrive and immediately form up in line to close with Delaborde’s horse.

2. View from the British right

Hill’s brigade, on the British right, advance in column with Columbeira and the ridge in the distance.

3. On the British left

While Fane’s infantry quickly move to secure Roliça, and engage the French left Crawford’s 91st and 50th (foreground) follow Nightingale’s troops in their circuitous advance up the flank and through the orchards and vineyards surrounding Roliça. The small Swiss battalion (remnants of the 4th) fall back in front of the superior British numbers.

4. Roliça occupied

The 95th Rifles easily occupy Roliça and begin sniping at the surrounding French forces.

5. Roliça hill

The 6 pdrs. unlimber to engage the French artillery firing on the advancing British.

6. Chausseurs on the loose!

The French cavalry meet the British light dragoons’ charge and send them reeling back (it happened so quickly I wasn’t able to get a picture!) They follow up with a second charge that scatters the British horse (as should have been expected as it was the first time my British dragoons had been on a table). The victorious French wheel and form up to assault Hill’s columns as they push ahead up the right.

7. Overview - French withdrawal begins

With Roliça in enemy hands the French begin to withdraw. At the top Nightingale’s and Crawford’s brigades quickly move up the French right. Below Fane occupies Roliça with his 95th Rifles and pushes the 1/45th past the town to form line and charge the 1/70me (upper right).

In the centre Delaborde abandons Roliça hill and begins the retreat to his intended line of defence, the ridge to the south.

At the bottom Hill forms the 1/9th into square to protect his rear against the French horse as his other two battalions continue to advance in columns of companies up the British right.

8. French rearguard

The 1/70me holds firm against the 45th, sending the British back bloodied, thus guarding the right of the French withdrawal. 

9. Overview of British left

Roliça is in bottom right, held by the 95th as the 45th is thrown back by the French. But the 45th serve their role, occupying the enemy as Nightingale and Crawford (left) advance towards the ridge.

10. Wellesley brings his command forward

With the French in retreat, Wellesley moves up to Roliça as Fane sends the 5/60th Rifles in column to the right of the town.

11. 1/70me fall back

12. Chausseurs stymied

Hill forms a second square and orders his third battalion into a closed column before the 26me can bring their charge home.

13. Back to Roliça

With Hill for the moment bogged down, Delaborde orders his cavalry back towards Roliça to support the French withdrawal.

14. 2/70me engage

As the 1/70me hastens back towards the ridge along with the Legere battalions the 2/70me takes over the reargurad (upper left), along with the Swiss and a voltigeur battalion. They fight a running battle with Fane’s troops through the fields north of Roliça as they advance out of the town, with Fane unaware of the French horse advancing on the far side of the hill!

15. Overview

Upper left Crawford advances while just visible at the top is Nightingale’s troops. Centre right the 1/70me has gone into open order as they rush back in a race with the British to the ridge. Below them the 3/2me Legere and the 3/4me Legere also retreat in columns of divisions while centre left the 2/70me fight a rearguard action with Fane’s 8th Brigade.

16. British left

Nightingale (bottom) races the 1/70me (top) to make the ridge (left) while Crawford (edge right) makes for the next gap over.

17. 2/70me routs

2/70me (right) routs after another clash with Fane while a small voltigeur battalion turns and forms line to try and protect the retreating cannon.

18. From the ridge

On the left the two Legere battalions and the 1/70me on the right reach the bottom of the ridge while the fields south of Roliça swarm with the British advancing infantry. On the hill in the distance the French horse arrive on Fane’s flank, forcing his columns to close up in response.

19. Cavalry arrive

The Chausseurs arrive (top) on Fane’s flank, causing his columns to close up as the 2/70me (top left) routs towards the ridge. Bottom left the French voltigeurs, in line, bravely hold back an assault in column by Fane’s 1/45th as the French guns make their slow way towards safety.

20. Brave voltigeurs!

The voltigeurs manage to hold back this attack, but soon after the British drive them off and the French guns are captured.

21. Nightingale deploys

Nightingale’s battalions form up in line in preparation for an assault on the 1/70me as his light infantry engage the enemy from behind a hedgerow.

22. 26me Chausseurs retreat

Delaborde, realizing that Hill on the British right is in danger of making the ridge, pulls his horse back to hold them off. Here they ride past Columbeira.

23. Hill occupies Columbeira

Hill throws his light infantry into Columbeira, who discharge a devastating fire into the flank of the French horse as they charge past. Meanwhile, bottom, his battalions push on.

24. A parting shot

From Roliça hill the British artillery, held back by the threat of the French horse ranging behind the British lines, unlimbers and fires a parting shot into the rear of the retreating 2/70me, rallied and now in column. It is enough to panic the French battalion a second time and they again rout towards the ridge. It will be the last shot fired by the British cannon.

25. 3/2me Legere march onto the ridge

26. 1/70me holding back the tide

The 1/70me, managing to slip past Nightingale as he formed up for an attack, gains the ridge top intact and forms line. Nightingale throws his battalions forward, hoping to force a foothold on the ridge before the French can firm up their defence. But only the 29th makes contact, and the narrow access means the British need to attack in columns of companies. The French easily throw back this first attempt.

27. Overview of ridge

At the top the 1/70me confronts Nightingale, while below that (second gap) the 3/2me Legere have formed line to confront Crawford.

In the third gap the 2/70me rout back in disarray with Fane in pursuit while bottom right the 3/4me Legere have begun to move towards blocking the fourth gap, only to see the Chausseurs (bottom centre) arriving to block Hill’s access. 

28. 1/70me holds fast

The 1/70me repulses a second attempt, this time by both of Nightingale’s battalions while to their left their voltigeurs engage in a fierce firefight trying to hold off the British and Portuguese light infantry, making their way up the rough ground between the gullies.

29. 29th routs

The 29th routs, but unfortunately so do the French skirmishers, driven out by the British light who now begin to engage the 1/70me’s left.

30. Driven back!

The skirmish fire from the rough drives back the 1/70me…

31. Foothold

…allowing Nightingale’s 82nd to gain the ridge top, shake into line and attack. Vicious hand to hand fighting ends with both sides reeling backwards, but the 82nd, falling back into the rough, becomes disordered and routs back down the ridge! But this will be the last French success.

32. West end of the ridge

The 26me Chausseurs, badly battered, retreat to the top of the ridge, while Hill’s battalions cautiously advance in closed columns.

33. Victory!

However in the centre Crawford’s 5th Brigade finally breaks the French defence. Charging up the gully in two columns abreast, they drive the 3/2me back. The 3/2me’s retreat takes them through their supporting battalions and a second charge by the Scots and British cause the 3/2me to break and rout. The momentum of the charge then propels them into the flank of the second Legere battalion and the supporting Swiss. 

34. Overview

At this point the French threw in the towel. With two full battalions in rout, a third battered and engaged on the flank and even the brave 1/70me staggering there was no option but to withdraw in the face of the red tide.

From top to bottom:

Upper right the 1/70me still stand while upper left Nightingale’s two line battalions rout from the ridge. 

Centre right Crawford’s victorious brigade floods onto the ridge, the 91st taking the 3/4me in the flank. 

In between the gaps British and Portuguese skirmishers also break onto the top of the ridge.

In the third gap from top Fane’s brigade arrives late to the show, having done legion work in engaging the French rearguard all the way from Roliça.

At the bottom Hill’s closed columns creep up towards the French horse.

All in all it was a great game, full of suspense and nail-biting moments. The British almost beat the French to the ridge due to a slightly delayed withdrawal and a concerted push by Nightingale up the British left. But the 1/70me, both at Roliça and on the ridge, as well as some of the smaller voltigeur battalions, threw back wave after wave of British attacks. In the end British numbers and the degradation of the French troops meant that the rot had set in and not all of the accesses to the ridge could be adequately held. The ridge fell at the beginning of Turn 9.